The Digital Fix: Music

The Heys - Young Bored and Broke

Securing some attention in the wake of an American release, it's not difficult to see why The Heys have found an anglophile audience for their resolute brand of mod-filtered Britpop.

Young, Bored and Broke has all the swagger of early Oasis, tempered by a craft that only comes with years of unpicking the classics and understanding what makes them tick. Frontman Tom Flynn doesn't appear to be the youngest kid on the block, so you guess he's paid his dues - with this album being the payoff. There's also a keener eye (and wit) to the lyrics than the uninspiring song titles (and band name) suggest, with a sardonic edge to tracks like "Pressure", rather than the bluster of their younger counterparts.

"Don't" has a Hard-Fi ska undercurrent and there are occasional moments when you think things are going to stumble and fall into Razorlight territory but, for the most part, the band manage to avoid the annoying bits of said outfits and even manage a decent 'lighter in the air' moment with "Hey".

Just the kind of album liable to not appear on the mainstream media radar, it would be a real shame if The Heys weren't picked up by their natural constituency. At the very least they deserve regular gigs at scooter rallies around the country - and maybe even better.

Overall

7

out of 10

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